Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, RIVER SONG, by ROSELLE MERCIER MONTGOMERY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

RIVER SONG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Sumpin' 'bout a river
Last Line: Twell you -- up an' go!
Subject(s): Rivers


Sumpin' 'bout a river,
Kind o' gets you -- sho'!
Dunno what, erzackly . . .
Jes' know dat it's so --
Dat you heah it callin' --
Don' keer whah you go!

You cyarn he'p but lissen. . .
Kind o' makes you mad!
Sumpin' 'bout its callin'
Kind o' makes you sad --
Lak you done los' sumpin',
Mebbe, once you had!

I's a city niggah,
Now -- I done forgot
All my country raisin'
Down dere whah it's hot --
River keeps a-callin',
Sayin', "You ain' not!

"You bleeged to remember
How I use to flow
Th'u de cane an' brambroo,
By yo' cabin do' --
Nussed you on mah buzzum,
You remembers, sho!

"All mah chilluns wanders --
But dey don' ferget!
Dey comes back to fin' me --
I don' never let
Go of 'em forever. . .
You'll be comin' yet!"

I say: "River, lissen!
I don' want to heah!
I's a city niggah --
Good job, by de yeah --
Ain' no use, yo' callin' --
I gwine shut mah eah!

"Nossuh, I ain' goin'!
I don' want to go!
Plantin' corn an' cotton,
Like I done befo',
In de river bottom,
Ain' foh me no mo'!"

Plenty noises roun' me
In de city streets --
Plenty street cyars passin',
Plenty folks I meet,
Plenty autos tryin'
Knock me off mah feet!

How come I keep hearin',
'Bove an' over all
All de city noises,
Still de river call!
'Tain't no 'magination,
Nossuh, not a-tall!

I cyarn he'p but lissen --
Kind o' makes me mad!
Sumpin' 'bout its callin'
Kind o' makes me sad --
Lak I done los' sumpin',
Mebbe, once I had!

Sumpin' 'bout a river
Kind o' gets you -- sho!
Dunno what, erzackly . . .
Jes' know dat it's so --
Keeps a callin', callin'
Twell you -- up an' go!





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